Baked Jalapeno Poppers

Ingredients for Baked Jalapeno Popper

Baked Jalapeno Poppers

(Makes 24)

·         12 fresh jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise, stems, seeds and membranes removed

·         6 ounces cream cheese, softened

·         1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese

·         1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

·         1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or less, to taste

·         2 large eggs

·         2 tablespoons milk

·         8 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows

·         1 cup panko crumbs, or fine dry breadcrumbs

·         1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside.

In a bowl, cream together the cream cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, cumin, and cayenne.

In a small bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, and 2 teaspoons of the Essence. In a shallow dish, combine the panko crumbs and remaining 4 teaspoons of Essence. In a third dish, combine the flour and remaining 2 teaspoons of Essence. Spread 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture into the middle of each jalapeno half. One at a time, dredge in the flour, dip into the egg mixture, then dredge in the panko crumbs, pressing to coat. If necessary, repeat the process. Place the coated peppers, cut side up, on the prepared baking sheet and bake until the filling is runny and the crust is golden, about 30 minutes.

They are delish!!! 

** If you want them super spicy, then follow the directions accordingly, but if not.... 

Boil the cut jalapenos for 10 minutes before stuffing them. Also, I only added 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne. :)

Biscuits & Gravy

Biscuits and Gravy

Biscuits:

non-stick cooking spray

2 cups self rising flour

2 teaspoons sugar

1 1.2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 450. Lightly spray a baking sheet with the non stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and baking powder; blend well. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and veg oil add to dry ingredients and mix until dough is moist but not sticky. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough lightly 4-5 times. Roll dough to a 3/4 inch thickness; cut with a 4 inch biscuit cutter. Knead any scraps together and repeat cutting method. Place biscuits on a baking sheet and bake 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Keep warm.

Gravy:

1 lb ground pork sausage

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 cups of whole milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon of salt

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook and crumble sausage until brown. Reserve 1/4 cup of the drippings in skillet' drain sausage well. Set aside. Add flour to the dripping in the skillet; stir until smooth. Cook over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until dark brown, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until smooth and thickened. Stir in salt, pepper, and sausage; heat through. Serve over hot split biscuits!

I love this recipe, as does my husband! Sometimes if I don't have time to make the biscuits from scratch, I just buy store brand biscuits and just make the gravy... Short cut :)

Menu for August 14th- 19th, 2011

Here is the menu for the week, in no specific order. Now I am only cooking 4 meals because I will be out of town for the weekend. So it is just a little bit shorter this week. Here goes...

1. Copycat P.F. Chang's Lettuce Wraps with Rice
2. Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches
3. Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs
4. Chicken Cordon Bleu with Balsamic and Parmesan Cauliflower
5. Lemon Orzo salad with Asparagus and Tomatoes (for lunch)

Hot Artichoke Dip

So my husband is taking me out for dinner tonight, so I figured I would leave you guys with a favorite recipe...

Hot Artichoke Dip

1 can of artichoke hearts (14 oz drained and finely chopped)

1 package of cream cheese (8oz)

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/3 cup of mayonnaise

2/3 cup of parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat Oven at 350. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Place in a lightly greased casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes. Serve warm with crackers. Delish!

** We serve this at almost every family gathering! **

BBQ Ribs, Mashed Baby Reds & Corn Casserole

(These are the ingredients for Corn Casserole)

Corn Casserole

(Recipe compliments of Meem)

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

1 can of cream style corn

1 stick of butter, melted

2 eggs, beaten

8 oz sour cream

1 box of Jiffy corn bread mix (must be Jiffy)

Preheat oven at 350.

Mix all of the above ingredients and pour into a greased 9x 13 pan. Bake for 1 hour. Easy huh?

And here is the finished product! Ta-Da!

BBQ Ribs... marinaded for a few hours in the homemade BBQ sauce. Wrapped in tin foil and baked on a low 250 for 2 1/2 hours. YUM

Mashed Baby Reds... Baby red potatoes, boiled in salted water, then mashed until creamy. I add about 1 tablespoon of butter, 1/2 cup of milk and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese!

Corn Casserole- amazing with a pat of butter on top :)

BBQ Sauce

BBQ Sauce

(Makes 4 quarts)

¼ lb butter

¾ cup minced onion

½ cup minced garlic

2 lemons, zested

5 Tablespoons lemon juice

4 ¼ cups ketchup

1 cup tomato juice

 ¾ cup light brown sugar

6 Tablespoons molasses

½ cup Worcestershire sauce

½ cup chili powder

4 Tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 ½ chipotle puree (chipotles in adobo sauce pureed)

Pinch of salt

3 cups of water

Melt the butter in a large pot. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until just translucent. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 5 additional minutes. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, ketchup, tomato juice, brown sugar, molasses, worcestershire, chili powder, vinegar, chipotle puree, salt and water. Bring it all to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.  When cooled, I put into 2 cup containers and freeze it! That way you always have BBQ sauce on hand!

Shrimp Scampi

Nana's Shrimp Scampi

12 oz angel hair pasta

1/3 cup butter

1 lb fresh shrimp

2 green onions, sliced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon lemon zest

½ cup lemon juice

½ teaspoon hot sauce (more or less per taste)

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Cook pasta and keep warm. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp and cook until just pink. Stir in all remaining ingredients. Serve over hot pasta. Tip: Don’t overcook the shrimp, they get super chewy and it’s not good!

Now as you can see, I do two things differently. I cut the shrimp up into bite size pieces and I use spaghetti, not angel hair. Only because this is my husband's preference. Enjoy!